Use cases in Physical Therapy

Why use patient-reported outcomes in Physical Therapy

Functional and quality-of-life outcomes are the bedrock of physical therapy, yet very few practices quantify how they perform on these dimensions. Patient-reported outcomes offer a way of capturing structured and quantifiable information on the value you deliver for your patients, allowing you to engage and proactively manage patients in new ways and get the recognition you deserve with payers and partners.

Proactive Care

Gain visibility in to patient progress and identify areas to focus on. Help your patients build on strengths and shore up weaknesses.

Longer Relationships

Use outcomes measurement to strike up a long term conversations with patients and keep them coming back to your practice.

Demonstrable Quality

Prove the effectiveness of your care with data. Use outcomes to win patients, build new partnerships and negotiate rates you deserve.

Digital Content

What measures are out there?

The patient-reported outcome measures (PROMs) available in physical therapy overlap with those used in orthopaedics and are some of the most robust measures available. Some are beginning to be used by the Center for Medicare and Mediaid Services (CMS) in their payment models such as CJR. Just some examples include the HOOS and HOOS, JR (hip), the KOOS and KOOS, JR (knees), the FAOS (foot and ankle), the DASH and QuickDASH (arm shoulder and hand).

Starting a program in your practice

Getting started is easy and we’d encourage you to register on the platform and start testing it with a few of your patients to get familiar. In order to stand up a comprehensive outcomes program we recommend a few key steps: 1) Define the goals of your program 2) Determine which patients will be eligible and how you might want to expand it over time 3) Choose the measures you want to use and when you want to check-in with patients 4) Enlist the help of the people in your practice who will be needed to register patients and explain the program 5) Configure your platform and go live 6) Improve and reflect!

Osteoarthritis

Osteoarthritis is a chronic and debilitating disease that is increasingly prevalent as our population ages and we struggle with obesity and more sedentary lifestyles. With increasing evidence behind PT as a valuable therapeutic option for osteoarthritis, one practice decided to partner with a local orthopaedic group engaged in a risk-sharing model to help them manage their osteoarthritic patients. Those not immediately suitable for surgery went in to a conservative management program that involved pain management and physical therapy. Outcomes were monitored over time, helping guide frequency and focus of PT and those who continued to deteriorate were referred back to their orthopedists for consideration of additional treatment options.

Sports Medicine

In a field where helping patients safely maintain and maximize performance is the name of the game, one innovative practice decided to try a new approach. They implemented patient-reported outcome measurement routinely for all of their knee patients using the IKDC (International Knee Documentation Committee) Subjective Knee Form, available through the American Orthopaedic Society for Sports Medicine. Snapshots of symptoms and function were captured between each visit and reviewed during each consultation to develop custom treatment plans. The practice gained a new dimension of visibility in to their patients’ progress and boost patient satisfaction. As outcome measurement continued beyond the initial treatment phase, they were able to establish longer relationships and reach out to patients they knew would benefit from additional support.

Patient-reported outcomes made easy and accessible

Learn how we can help your practice to start capturing PROs, use that
data to close the feedback loop and set yourself up for future success